Trojan War: Family Tree

Trojan War: Family Tree

The Greeks

Led by King Agamemnon, the Greeks waged war on Troy to recover Queen Helen, the wife of Agamemnon's brother, Menelaus.

Aegina

Zeus

Plouto

Leda

Zeus

Maia

Aegina is a nymph of the island outside of Athens that bears her name. She was visited by Zeus and bore Aeacus. She is the great-grandmother of Achilles.

A Nymph, whose name means "Wealth" in Greek, not to be confused with Hades (Pluto).

Zeus visited her in the form of a swan, so their children were hatched from eggs.

Zeus had many extramarital affairs...he was prolific in his production of offspring!

A nymph associated with the Pleiades, a constellation of stars. She has six other sisters. They are daughters of Atlas, the mountain range, and a sea nymph.

Zeus had many extramarital affairs...he was prolific in his production of offspring!

Hermes

Helen

Menelaus

God of travelers, merchants, and thieves, the day he was born he stole his brother, Apollo's cattle, and invented the lyre, a stringed instrument, from a tortoise shell. He is also a great-grandfather of Odysseus.

Brother of Agamemnon, King of Sparta! Married to Helen, daughter of Zeus and Plouto!

Often referred to as "the face that launched a thousand ships", she was regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world. Even though she was married to Menelaus, Aphrodite promised her to Paris, a Trojan prince. She ran away with him...thus beginning the Trojan War!

Thetis

Peleus

One of the few mortals who was allowed to marry a goddess. She attempted to resist the marriage, but the gods advised him to "grab onto her and not let go", even though she changed shape, from a bull to a snake...

A gorgeous sea nymph, whom Zeus wanted to marry. However, there was a prophecy that her child would be greater than his father! Zeus consequently decided to marry her off to a mere mortal, Peleus. At their wedding, they did not invite Eris, the goddess of strife/discord. Displeased, she threw a golden apple at the feast which said, "for the fairest", which caused a squabble between Hera (Juno), Athena (Minerva), Aphrodite (Venus), who only Paris could settle. Aphrodite used Helen as a bribe...she gave Helen to Paris in exchange for the golden apple.

Agamemnon

Clytemnestra

Agamemnon is the great grandson of Zeus and Plouto. King of the Greeks, he lived at Mycenae, where you can still visit today! Agamemnon was married to Clytemnestra, sister of Helen and daughter of Zeus.

Helen's mortal half-sister, as her father was Leda's mortal husband (Tyndareus). She married Agamemnon, but they were not happy together, especially after he killed their daughter, Iphigenia, as a sacrifice to Artemis. She gets her revenge in the end...

Odysseus

Penelope

Orestes

Iphigenia

He inherited the craftiness of his great-grandfather, Hermes. After fighting in the Trojan War, it took him seven long years to return home to his wife, Penelope. On the way home he lingered on the islands of several lovely goddesses, including Circe, and Calypso. He famously outwitted the Cyclops, among his many other amazing feats.

Faithful wife of Odysseus. Despite his long absence, she refused to remarry. Every day she wove a garment and told the suitors that she would marry when the garment was finished. But each night she stayed up late undoing the work she had done during the day.

Orestes avenges his father by killing his mother. In some versions he is then reunited with his sister, Iphigenia.

When the Trojan army was setting sail for Troy, there was no wind for their sails. An oracle prophesied that Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, at the altar of Artemis. He tricked his daughter and wife by telling them that she would be married to the warrior, Achilles. In some versions, Artemis replaced her with a deer, just as she was about to be sacrificed.

Achilles

The strongest Greek warrior, he faced a decision to either live a long life and be forgotten, or die at Troy and be remembered forever. He chose to fight after Hector killed his beloved companion, Patroclus. After Achilles kills Hector, he disfigures the corps by dragging Hector's body behind his chariot.

Electra

Electra is distressed by her mother's murder of her father, Agamemnon. She helps her brother orchestrate the murder of her mother, Clytemnestra.